St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-11
A SEA-GULL'S STRATAGEM.
Trying to Break a MTzzle on the
Head of an OrnothOloOist.

Trying to Break a Mrzzie on the
Head of an Ornothologist.
San Francisco Examiner.
81 had very singular experience last
Sunday" said tradesman, whose shop
in Oakland is adorned by the sign. Cor
astrological Rarities," but, who on
pinch, would sell dog or rabbit. II
was walking ON the beach. not very far
from the Cliff house, and I had just no
ticed that an unusually large number of
sea-gulls were flying over the sands,
when hard substance struck me viO-
lently upon the head and staggered me.
Luckily my hat was very thick, and
am blessed with tolerably solid skull.
So soon recovered myself, and / was
looking about to ascertain what had hit
me, when was greatly startled by
weird and ghoStly fiutteringOf wings
foot above me. A great gray gull had
narrowly escaped alighting upon my
shoulders. He just succeeded in check
ing his impetuouS descent as his feet
almost touched me- With queer kind
of half-frightened cry, he was again
into the air.
''But what had brought him so close
to me2 soon found out. Lying on
the sand was the thing that had given
large black musSle, and the sea-gulI had
dropped it from dizzy height upon my
unOffending scalp. have studied the
habits of these birds pretty carefully,
and knew very well why he had done
it. He was trying to get at his dinner:
and as the shell of the muSSle was still
unbroken, and / wished to try him again,
| walked a couple of hundred yards
away, and then turned to watch his
movements.
Seeing that the coast was clear, he
quickly flew back to the place where the
mussle had fallen, seized it in his beak
and, again rising high into the air. he
let it drop. He followed it closely as it
greater part of the descent, and only
moderating his downward rush when he
was in danger of daShing himself upon
the beach. The muSsle struck the sand,
but the shell was still unbroken and,
indeed, it was very evident to me that
the soft ground that received it would
never lay it open. The gull's last
chance had failed when his booty struck
my consistent head and bounded Off I'M
injured.
1.-The bird, after another unsuccessful
effort, seemed to come to this conclusion
also, for presently, as he seized the
IuuSS6l. 1lG 1OOhtu dIOullu, dUu spying
me lurking on the beach, he flew I'D
again, and soaring about 500 hundred
feet above me, he dropped the scaled
meal as before, and accompanied it on
its way down. Isuppsose he must have
mistaken m! capaciouS skull for rock,
and an uncommonly good shot he made
at it. Of course got out of harms way,
however, and then as L moved off, he
took the mussle again, and once more
tried to brain me in the interests of his
appetite. Then flung the mussle to a
distance, and the gull, seeming to take
this as hint that my head was not
chopping block, seized his troublesome
delicacy and flew away. | saw him
turn little inland, rise once more to
great height, dart swiftly down. and
then wing his way out to sea. l found
that many stones lay at the place of his
descent; so, doubtless, his perseverance
was at length rewarded and he had gone
off to some lonely rock to dine, OF feed
his family"